Connecticut western news., 1887-12-21
TRADES FEDERATION.
Some Extracts from the Address of
 President Gompcrs.

The American Federation of Labor, the or ganiZation that threatens to displace the Knights of Labor, has had big session in Baltimo c. The following, a part of Presi- dent Gompers' speech, will give plain idea of it's plans:
 ''We arc faithful to tho traditions, the the- ory and methods of the trade union, not only because tho trade union is the historic and natural form of working class organization, but also because trade unionism teaches it is mans duty to live as social and not merely AS selfish being, and because membership in union of a trade is the best possible guarantee of the members integrity, usefulness and so- cial worth.
 'sThe formation and rapid development of the American Federation of Labor has been hailed with the heartiest expressions of joy md hope on the part of many trade unionists in other lands. In this connection it is par !icularly agreeable for me to state the first of- aclal tender of sympathy and cooperation was made by the Federation Franchise Des Trav- liileur' du Livre, tho typographical union of France.
 .sOn the Continent of Australia and several of the adjacent islands trade unions hay, ak ,n deep ront in the affections of the people, md the eight-hour work day has for many years been the unwritten but effective law of she land. On the Continent of Europe the trade anion movement is slowly but none the less surely leading the more advanced minds from ihe dark valley of anarchial revolutionary class hatred to the upper region of truly organ:c system.
 Tn Great Britain and Ireland, the cradle of >nr new universal movement, the twentieth mnual Trades Union Congress unanimously adopted resolution 'to bring about united ,ction on questions directly affecting the inter- aSts of labor by means of an International Congress. It is almost needless to say that it Is my earnest desire that America shall be xortm!y represented at said Congr ss.
 foN< tl,ak he annual report of the various bureaus of abor statistics show large and abnormal in- .ressc in the employment of women and chill lren in many industries. It becomes our duty o endeavor to modify the evils resulting from such employment.
 wives, sisters, and children brought into the factories and workshops only to reduce wages and displace the labor of men and the heads of families. First and foremost We should bend our energies to the organization of la boring women in trades unions and secure must be protected alike from the ignorant greed of their parents as we'll as the rapacious ,varice of their employers. The demand for equal psy for equal work, regardless of sex, is not only demand made by trades unions, put often enforced by the host of hardships md sacrifices entailed by bitter and prolonged strikes. It is one thing to mouth sentiment md another to make sacrifices for it's achieve nept. The trad unions of England have female delegates at their conventions. The federation has had the same."
 After quoting from the report of the United States Commissioner of Labor to show hcw manual labor has been superseded by machin- ,ry, he says:
 tsOn July 1, 1885, there were m less than }9S, ,S37 working people out of employment. Is 1t not time that something should be done to reclaim from misery the many thousands of good and true men whose only fault is that they have stomachs to fill, with ready and will ng hands to supply their wants, but continu- ally receiving the stereotyped reply in answer Q their appeals for work, 'No job open?'"
 The cause for this state of affairs, MT. Gom- oers evidently believes, is that there is & fixed mount of work to be done and wages to be paid, and that therefore shorter hours and less individual receipt of wages would make the aggregate income go further.